1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a user interface server framework and a method of using the framework, which support a user interface developer in developing a final user interface based on components.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently, as the concept of component based development (CBD), service oriented structure (SOS) and the like is gradually applied to industries, reusability and connection functions of so-called business objects have been remarkably strengthened, and solutions and technologies related thereto have also been advanced. Although web service user interfaces have rapidly become complicated as the concept of Web 2.0, Ajax and the like have been introduced to industries, component development and reusability of user interface objects remain in their early stage. Accordingly, the cost for developing user interface objects is high.
In addition, a user interface domain is closely connected to a business domain in most web-based user services. That is, the user interface domain and the business domain are not clearly divided as separated layers and exist as one combined body. In an alternate situation, although the user interface domain and the business domain are clearly divided as separated layers, dependency between the layers is so high that they can be referred to as the same module in most structures.
If a structure closely connecting the user interface domain and the business domain is used, it is effective for a while to lower the cost of developing user interface objects. However, total costs including maintenance cost are increased. In addition, existing user interface objects may not be reused even when user interface objects of a similar structure are developed, and thus, there is a problem in that a large amount of cost and time may be required.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a general process of developing a web application.
As shown in FIG. 1, the user interface development process includes a user interface object design step, a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) development step, a JAVA® script development step, a business object development step, a JAVA® server page conversion step, and a user interface object integration step.
Generally, although development of HTML is completed, the HTML cannot be immediately used in a service. This is because an HTML developer develops the HTML using not real data but constant values in the process of developing the HTML, and thus, the HTML itself developed by the HTML developer cannot express dynamic data used in a web service.
Accordingly, the JAVA® server page conversion step for converting the HMTL into server pages should be performed. The step removes constant values from HTML result material and converts the HTML to express dynamic data provided by a business object.
In addition, after the JAVA® server page conversion step is performed, a user interface object integration step for confirming and verifying actually operating user interfaces can be performed.
Some of the steps can be performed in parallel, and some of them can be performed in sequence. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the HTML development step, the JAVA® script development step and the business object development step can be performed in parallel. Thereafter, the JAVA® server page conversion step and the user interface object integration step can be performed in sequence.
However, since the JAVA® server page conversion step and the user interface object integration step are performed through a programming language used by a web developer, the web developer should perform the processes, and thus a bottleneck problem may occur. Although additional web developers may be used in order to solve the bottleneck problem, since the web developers lack understanding of the HTML, user interface objects and the like, the addition of web developers is not generally very helpful to solve the bottleneck problem.
In addition, since the user interface object integration step for confirming user interfaces to be practically applied is performed in the last stage, it is difficult to relate the user interface to the overall user interface development project. That is, since the step of confirming and verifying practically operating web user interface objects is performed in the last stage, there is a problem in that it is difficult to feedback between developers and users and to confirm proper operation.
An invention titled “Java script-based web-client application framework, web contents processing method using the framework, and computer readable recording medium for implementing thereof” is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2008-0070337. This publication relates to a framework configured using a JAVA® script, which is capable of improving modeling and reusability of objects using an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document and developing object-oriented client applications. However, since the user interface object integration step is performed by a web developer who manages data, the process may not be smoothly performed. In addition, since the user interface object confirmation step is performed in the last stage, errors in the user interface objects are found late.